


I Will Soothe Your Worried Looks

by ThatOneGirlBehindYou



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Nightmares, Past Character Death, Pre-Slash, Talks in the night, i guess?, widomaukweek2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-12 12:53:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19132414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneGirlBehindYou/pseuds/ThatOneGirlBehindYou
Summary: Sometimes late at night, there's things you can't chase away.For day four of Widomauk Week: NightmaresCan be read as a sequel of my day one for Widomauk Week,Like The Embers of Your Eyes, but can also be read as a standalone.





	I Will Soothe Your Worried Looks

"It would be great if you could wake up" says Molly's voice, conversationally.

The fact that his pleasaant request cuts right over the agonized screaming of his parents dying inside the burning house is what clues Caleb in to the fact that this is another one of his nightmares, and manages to pull him out.

When he opens his eyes, the room is pitch black for him, but he guesses there's enough light coming in through the window that Mollymauk can see him somewhat clearly, because he's leaning over his bed.

It's still weird, this bedroom arrangement. After they'd found Mollymauk and Yasha and when they first got into a town, Molly'd had a quiet chat with Fjord, before coming over to Caleb.

"Fjord says he's quite comfortable with Caduceus as a roomate" he'd say. It had sounded calm and light, but also careful. "So I seem to find myself without proper acommodation. Do you think Nott would mind if I bunked in with you two?"

Caleb had felt his breath leave his body in a rush after his words. The quiet chat by the fire, the feeling of the other man's hand against his own was still haunting and exhilarating in equal measures. He'd said he'd ask, after a couple long minutes and when Molly had begun to look nervous.

Nott had patted him on the thigh and said she'd sleep with Jester, and to message her if he needed her.

That had been over four towns ago, and though they have done nothing more than hold hands on the road and exchange loaded looks from across the group, the mood feels loaded and heavy every time they walk into their rooms. Not uncomfortable per se, merely like something that's waiting to break, and very much done with both of them being too aprehensive to break it.

"I'm sorry I woke you up" says Caleb. Mollymauk is leaning over him, and Caleb snaps his fingers to bring up one single globe of light. Enough to see Mollymauk's red eyes gleaming back at him, but not enough to blind the Tiefling.

"You didn't" Molly says, sitting on the floor next to the bed. "I don't sleep much. Never have."

Caleb frowns. "Then how did you know I was having a nightmare?"

Mollymauk shrugs "It's quite obvious. You get all stiff and you start sweating and talking in Zemnian" he says, and sweeps a sweat-drenched lock of hair out of Caleb's forehead with a clawed finger. "I asked Nott about it, she said it was ok to wake you up"

"Ah... I see." Caleb averts his eyes from Molly's then. He does not know of his crimes, of the terrible things he did before joining the Nein. Perhaps if he did, Mollymauk would not be sitting by his bedside. Would never have asked to share a room with him. "I'm sorry Mollymauk"

"Please don't be" Molly rests his chin on the edge of the mattress, and Caleb could swear he's seen that before. He looks to his other side, and finds that Frumpkin is resting his chin in the exact same position on his shoulder. That would be it. "I have nightmares too. If I can do anything-"

"You do?" Caleb interrupts him. He would feel rude, but the fact that this man that has twice come back from the dead, that slashes at his own skin and spills his own blood in order to harm his enemies, suffers from something as mundane as nightmares is too perplexing.

"Oh yeah. All the time" Molly grins. His resemblance to the cat is accentuated by it, and Caleb finds one of his hands has drifted up the mattress and is softly scratching at the bottom of Mollymauk's chin. "Sometimes it's digging myself out, sometimes it's digging myself out with Caduceus' damned mushrooms" he winks

"Is it ever Lorenzo?" The man's name sounds like a curse in the quiet peace of the room, and Caleb regrets saying it as soon as it leaves his lips. Molly however, merely rests his chin more firmly against Caleb's tickling fingers.

"Not often. You took care of that for me after all." Molly turns his face and slowly, very slowy without taking his eyes off Caleb's, plants a soft kiss on the inside of his wrist. "I would like to return the favor"

Caleb's skin feels too small, too hot. His heartbeat like it will break through his chest.

"I would not put you through that Mollymauk... I am not a good man" he says, and his voice comes out weaker than he expected it to.

Molly does not speak immediately, merely keeps resting his face on Caleb's hand.

When he finally talks, his breath is hot and ticklish on Caleb's skin.

"I don't know if I was a good man. But I know I'm trying my best to be one now" Molly says. "Maybe you were not a good man before, Caleb. I certainly think you're a good man now, but if you won't believe me... Please believe that I see you _trying_ to be a better man every day"

Breathing is getting harder for Caleb now, but it's not the sort of breathlessness that comes from panic attacks -that one he knows all too well- instead the air feels thick and wet, his chest is heavy and his eyes are burning.

"Mollymauk" he says, and it's a battle to even get the name out.

"Yes dear?" Molly's breath is still hot, _too hot_ on his wrist.

"Would you lay down with me?" He doesn't look at Molly, tries to excuse the burning in his eyes by staring straight at his globe of light.

"I must warn you" Mollymauk smirks, but he's already climbing on the bed with him, pushing the covers aside. Every point of contact between their bodies feels like fire, chaste as it is. "I kick at night"

Caleb dims the dancing light until it fades, and in the darkness he finds the courage to turn around and rest his head on Molly's shoulder.

"I suppose I'll have to kick you right back"


End file.
